Tasmania Police issue warning to drone operators
Tasmania Police has issued a warning about the use of drones in fire zones as waterbombing craft are employed
Tasmania
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TASMANIA Police has issued a warning about the use of drones in fire zones.
“Firefighting operations rely heavily on the use of helicopters and other aircraft and any use of drones in the vicinity presents a risk to manned aviation,” Tasmania Police said in a statement.
“Water-bombing aircraft need to fly at low altitudes, a task made more difficult with the added risk of a drone strike.
“Essentially, if you fly a drone, they can’t fly at all.”
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Tasmania Police said drones cannot be operated in a way that creates a hazard to another aircraft, person or property.
“Unless approved, drones also must not fly within 5.5km of an aerodrome or helicopter landing site,” police said.
“During emergency operations, many landing sites are temporary and negligent drone operators run the risk of breaching this requirement.
“If a drone pilot becomes aware of aircraft operating, they should immediately stop flying.”
Recreational drone pilots should consult the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s “Can I Fly There” app, but be aware that it may not display temporary helicopter landing sites.
More information about the rules applying to flying drones is available from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority website.
Last month a drone being flown in the area of a bushfire on Bruny Island forced the grounding of a waterbombing aircraft.
AUTHORITIES TO INVESTIGATE BRUNY DRONE INCIDENT
Piloted aircraft must also remain clear of firefighting operations.
The Tasmania Fire Service made a report to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau a week ago after an unidentified helicopter encroached on airspace around the Gell River bushfire in the southwest.
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